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Help, Error Codes on Double XL BL installation

Discussion in 'Cinestar 8' started by Steven Flynn, Feb 24, 2014.

  1. Steven Flynn

    Steven Flynn Member

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    Hi. I've just finished my upgrade with a 2XL Double Quad ESC and T-Motor Navigator Heavy Lift Motors. Everything tested out well, got everything working ... even my beeper! I set it out on the floor without the props and started to "Fly" it. All the motors seemed to be fine, then #3 started to burp a bit. Then #3 stopped working altogether. Back on the bench looks like the motor test is showing #1 and #3 not working. I'm getting error codes... and if I look at the LED indicator by each motor I'm getting 12 red blinks on #1. And 6 red blinks on #3. Looks like 12 blinks = "cross-circuit between low and high", and 6 blinks means "B Doesn't go to high".

    What do those errors mean?

    Can anyone direct me to what to do about this? Not sure what these mean. Is it just a wiring polarity on the motors? I'm a bit worried because it looked like it was all working...

    Oh yeah, and no sign of smoke or any shorts.

    Thanks for any guidance... Steve.
     
  2. Steven Flynn

    Steven Flynn Member

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    Just a quick update. The motors seem fine. With nothing plugged into the board, on power up the two controllers won't clear their error. So I'm wondering if the card fried? Should the errors clear on reboot? I tried going into the bl software and restoring to defaults and that doesn't seem to do anything. I just can't imagine that running the motors without props on them fried the controller? So I'm stuck till someone smarter than me comes with their magic wand. Thanks.
     
  3. Dave King

    Dave King Well-Known Member

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    Steven

    Send the board back and get a replacement one. You don't want to fool around and try to unsolder and replace on of the boards (especially if you just bought it). There's really nothing you can do as you eliminated the possibility of it being a motor issue.
     
  4. Andy Johnson-Laird

    Andy Johnson-Laird Administrator
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    EDIT: Aha....this is for BL-Ctrl v 3.0: http://www.mikrokopter.de/ucwiki/en/DoubleQuadro-BL-Ctrl_3#Error_codes

    Can you connect up with MK Tool to the FC or NC and then see what, if any errors, you're getting?
    You might also want to post on mikrokopter.de forum.

    There is also this that I found with Google: http://www.mikrokopter.de/ucwiki/en/Erstinbetriebnahme/Help#BL-Ctrl_-_the_red_LED_is_flashing -- not sure whether it applies to BL-Ctrl v 3.0 though.

    I searched for: Mikrokopter BL-Ctrl led flashing

    EDIT: There is also this: http://www.mikrokopter.de/ucwiki/en/BrushlessCtrl#LEDs

    Andy.
     
  5. Andy Johnson-Laird

    Andy Johnson-Laird Administrator
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    Sorry about the messy posting above...

    My second Google search was: Mikrokopter BL-Ctrl v3.0 LED
    And the error codes shown at http://www.mikrokopter.de/ucwiki/en/DoubleQuadro-BL-Ctrl_3#Error_codes
    are:

    Error codes

    The BL V3 performs a selftest during startup (test-tone). In case of an error, these are the blink codes:
    • 1 "1" = Shortcut between A+ and B-
    • 2 "2" = Shortcut between B+ and C-
    • 3 "3" = Shortcut between C+ and A-
    • 4 "E" = A doesn't go to high
    • 5 "F" = B doesn't go to high
    • 6 "G" = B doesn't go to high
    • 7 "H" = A doesn't go to low
    • 8 "I" = B doesn't go to low
    • 9 "J" = C doesn't go to low
    • 10 "K" = Overcurrent when switching to low
    • 11 "L" = Overcurrent when switching to high
    • 12 "Q" = Cross-circuit between low and high
    • 15 overcurrent while starting the motor
    • 16 error current measurement
    • 17 error voltage measurement
    • 18 error temperaturen measurement

    Looks like Dave is right, but now at least we know why he's right! :)


    Hope this helps.
    Andy.
     
  6. Steven Flynn

    Steven Flynn Member

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    Thanks so much for the kind research and quick replies. I found all those error codes and the thing I would have found funny (if I wasn't curled up in a ball on the floor in a pool of tears) was a line like B doesn't go to high. I'm sure that is lost in translation as an error code, but does it mean it went too high, or that it should have gone higher. Sometimes I find the MK stuff really hard to understand. I've taken your advice and am now in the process of shipping another card from QC. Their being really responsive on it. I think sending up a copter with a wonky board on it is a bad idea. Thanks again everyone. I'll hope for rain for a few days then I won't be too sad about it not being ready. You are all the best! Steve.
     
  7. Andy Johnson-Laird

    Andy Johnson-Laird Administrator
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    See if you can find a schematic for the BL-Ctrl V3.0 -- it's basically converting DC into three phase power for the motors, so I suspect that A, B, and C are the three phases. You might be able to find the schematic for the BL-Ctrl 2.x and figure out some of the terminology from that.

    Sending up a copter with a wonky board is the best way I can think of destroying a copter....no, wait a minute, I can think of better ways....

    Andy.
     
  8. Steve Maller

    Steve Maller UAV Grief Counselor

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    Both QC (and in my case Holger himself) have been super responsive with issues on the first BL3.0 boards. Mine melted down almost immediately, and they took care of me. The new one has been (crossing fingers) trouble-free with a couple dozen flights on ‘er so far.
     
  9. Adam Paugh

    Adam Paugh Distributor

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    There appears to be a typo up in that list.

    "Error-6" should state-- "C doesn't go to high". In other words...the upper end of the C switching phase does not reach a maximum threshold to properly open the gate.

    Greetings,
    Adam
     
  10. Steven Flynn

    Steven Flynn Member

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    Ding Ding Ding... You get the award Adam... just have to figure out what that might be! Thx.
     
  11. Andy Johnson-Laird

    Andy Johnson-Laird Administrator
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    It translates to: This is an ex-BL. It has gone to meet its maker. It is bereft of life. It's joined the choir eternal.....(Thanks to John Cleese.)

    Andy.
     
    Gary McCready likes this.
  12. Ashley Fairfield

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    I am also having some issues with a new installation of the Double XL BL. I have flown a few times with just landing gear and flight is OK. As soon as I add a 5kg test weight there is a significant roll towards boom 8. I have had a look at the GPX files and there are significant discrepancies between motor currents even with no test weight. I have attached four GPX files. Those ending in 510 and 504 are with no weight. Those ending in 511 and 512 are with a test weight. You will also notice in the file ending in 504 the Max LOS distance is a worry. Thanks for any help or advice.

    Ash
     

    Attached Files:

  13. Steve Maller

    Steve Maller UAV Grief Counselor

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    This may be an obvious question, but is the weight balanced in both axes? Is it firmly mounted? If you lift the copter by the North/South booms, then by the East/West booms, it should balance perfectly. The GPX file isn’t really that out of whack. Have you calibrated your ACC?
     
  14. Ashley Fairfield

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    Hi Steve. Thanks for the reply. Yep balance is good. I've re-calibrated the ACC a couple of times. The company that installed it for me also had issues with it doing the same thing but it appeared to be fine when I picked it up. At one point they even tried a different FC board and it still continued to roll forward. Good to hear those numbers seem OK as I was worried it could be a problem with the board. I'll re-check the mounting of the FC board.
     
  15. Ashley Fairfield

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    After another ACC calibration it is still having the same problem. For the first 30 seconds of flight the problem is barely noticeable but then it will begin to roll towards booms 7 and 8 continuously.
     
  16. Chris Fox

    Chris Fox Active Member

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    Looks like something funny going on there Ash, your odd motors are pulling nearly 3A more than the even motors (1-6), with the exception of the 7&8 pair being opposite.

    Are all the props/motors aligned? it looks from the GPX it looks like there is something out of whack..... thats from just looking at the last two GPX files.
     
  17. Andy Johnson-Laird

    Andy Johnson-Laird Administrator
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    Ash: The only time I've seen this problem was when I calibrated the ACC and the FC board wasn't absolutely level. I was using the "levelness" (is there such a word?) of the battery plate as a proxy for the levelness of the FC board and the battery plate wasn't seated properly. I very much doubt that you've got the same problem with the battery plate but you might want to verify that the FC board itself is absolutely level in all horizontal directions.

    The disparity in motor currents might be because of one motor being ever so slightly out of vertical -- however, that typically causes drifting in yaw, not horizontal translation. If this problem has only just started when you swapped BL-Ctrls, then motor misalignment is unlikely, but...

    Also, and I know this is going to sound like I'm a drongo, but, can you verify that there's no roll trim whatsoever on your transmitter -- preferably by using MK Tool and verifying what you're seeing on the Aileron channel numerically (or on the Servo monitor display of your transmitter). It wouldn't be the first time someone's accidentally leaned on the roll trim switch while sipping on a tinny... ;)

    Andy.
     
  18. Ashley Fairfield

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    Thanks guys. No question is too obvious where I'm concerned. I have checked all those points Andy but I will go do all of them again. The only time I have had the same problem it was an ACC calibration issue as well but I have never been able to see all the motor currents etc until now and I wasn't sure if there was something else causing the issue. No roll trim on the transmitter but will check on MK tool.
     
  19. Andy Johnson-Laird

    Andy Johnson-Laird Administrator
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    Another daft thought: Check all the props to make sure they're tight. If one starts to slip....

    Did you try looking at the GPX files using MK_GPXTOOL and seeing what might be going on? I'm a bit under the gun on another project right now so I've not had a chance to have a gander at the GPX files. What's the Aussie phrase for being under pressure? Flat out like a lizard or something?
     
  20. Chris Fox

    Chris Fox Active Member

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    drinking ......

    like a lizard drinking ;)
     

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